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Pasta alternatives
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Instead of loading your meals with white pasta, try these menu ideas and reach your health goals.
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By Randy Taylor
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Who doesn't love pasta? As a long-standing staple of the North American diet, the inclusion of pasta in our diets seems to be a foregone conclusion. With so many examples of pasta in our daily diet, it's difficult to imagine going more than a few days without it. From Kraft Dinner for kids to quick meals and main courses at celebrations such as weddings and parties, as well as its prevalence on restaurant menus, there is no doubt that a world without pasta could seem to some like a world without food.
There are three basic points to remember when considering minimizing the inclusion of pasta in your diet:
• pasta itself has almost no taste
• the North American Diet is dangerously low in vegetable consumption
• foods made from processed white flour are the leading contributor to weight gain and obesity in North America
Here's the question to ask: Why do I love pasta? There is no question that its flavour and classification as a comfort food will garner the most responses. The truth is, pasta itself has virtually no flavour. Flavour from almost all of our foods come from vegetables, seasoning and fats. The enriched white flour that most pasta is made from is almost totally flavourless and very high on the glycemic index. Important to remember is that foods high on the glycemic index have been shown to be one of the major contributors to weight gain. These foods break down into sugar and enter the bloodstream at a rapid rate. As a result, the excess sugar is stored as fat, contributing to weight gain.
I believe we should be able to enjoy our foods every day and not be plagued by poor health as a result. The notion that eating healthy is boring and tasteless is a fallacy. The main reason I began creating recipe alternatives to pasta was in an attempt to provide more ways for families to get vegetables into their diet and to limit weight gain. Another reason for developing pasta alternatives was an attempt to avoid that bloated, lethargic, I-think-I'm-going-to-take-a-nap feeling after a big pasta meal.
Here are three quick alternatives that will let you decide for yourself.
1. Veggie base
Instead of pasta noodles, steam cauliflower and broccoli for up to 20 minutes, until cooked to your taste. Remove from steamer, season with garlic powder and oregano, and roughly chop. Top with sautéed onions, mushrooms and chopped green olives. Pour spaghetti sauce over top, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Vegetable medley
As the base for many different variations of pasta dishes, a vegetable medley can be used. Lightly steam cauliflower, broccoli, red pepper, carrots, zucchini, eggplant and squash. Roughly chop and season with oregano and garlic. Top with any of the following:
• Alfredo sauce
• Carbonara sauce
• Pesto
• Clam sauce
• Tomato and meat sauce
• Cheese mushroom sauce
• Olive oil, red onions, capers
There is not enough room to provide the ingredients and recipes for all the sauces listed above. You can use your favourite recipe or, as the short-cut chef, I suggest you do what I do. Purchase the sauces premade from your favourite deli.
Protein options:
• Meatballs
• Cooked, sliced chicken breast
• Baked salmon
• Tofu
• Smoked Italian sausage
These protein options can be added to the recipes above. The meat should be precooked and cut into cubes prior to adding to the dish.
2. Spaghetti squash
Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the pulp. Place open side up in baking dish, sprinkle with 2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil, 1 tsp (5 mL) garlic powder and 1 tsp (5 mL) oregano. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 1-1/4 hours. Remove from oven. With a fork, loosen squash, leaving it in shell. The consistency of this squash should be stringy, like pasta. Top with your favourite sauce and cheese and serve. Serve right in the shell.
3. Lasagna alternative
Using a standard lasagna recipe, replace the white pasta noodles with very good quality whole grain bread. Soak the slices of bread in a beaten egg mixture much like you do for French toast. In between layers of bread, layer sauce, cheese, olives and whatever your favourite choice of ingredients. Bake in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 45 minutes.
There is no question in my mind that once you have tried these alternatives you will be hooked. Healthy never tasted so good. Bon appetit!
Click here for 10 weight-loss tips that really work.
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